A Baptist church in Central City caught fire early Thursday morning. It happened at the Greater St. Matthews Baptist Church on South Rampart Street and Euterpe Street around 3 a.m.

The fire was quickly elevated to two alarms once firefighters arrived and saw the extent of the blaze. Fire officials say the fire appears to have started in the kitchen toward the rear of the church.

Fire crews were called to the scene at 2:50 a.m. and had the fire out around 3:15 a.m. No one was injured in the blaze and no other nearby homes suffered damage.

Shortly after they cleared the scene, several members of the congregation began arriving to see the extent of the damage. Senior Pastor Cary Payton Sr., who's been the pastor for about seven months, said the choir had rehearsal Wednesday night and some members were at the church until 10 p.m.

Payton said the church dates back to 1949, and there are about 150 people in the congregation. He added the congregation plays a big role in Central City and had recently begun turning the church and the community around.